


Sex, Love, and Other Disasters

by ThatOneOctopus



Series: Stolen Hearts [2]
Category: Lupin III
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Multi, OC Side Characters, OT4, Pops is everyone's kinda-friend, beta what beta, entirely too much gay, lots of swearing, self-esteem issues for everybody, the gang goes poly eventually, treasure that's more trouble than it's worth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-16 17:43:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21275171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneOctopus/pseuds/ThatOneOctopus
Summary: Falling for someone and admitting it is one thing; figuring out how to fit a new relationship into a life of crime is something else entirely. Especially when that relationship becomes far bigger and more complex than anyone was ready for.When the initial relief and exhilaration fade out, it leaves one very loaded question:Now what?(This is a sort of sequel to my previous piece, "The Wolf's Eye," but it can be understood just fine without reading that fic.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Who's ready for FEELINGS?
> 
> My second fic, oh boy! Time for feelings, criminals acting like children, and SO much dialogue! 
> 
> I do have a sort of plan regarding smutty stuff, because I might work up the nerve to try writing some on my own eventually. If and when that happens, I'll probably put it in it's own fic, with each chapter being a sex scene from this story with notes as to where it's meant to go.
> 
> Like I mentioned in the summary, this takes place in the aftermath of my first fic, but there's no need to delve through it if you just want to look at this piece on its own. In case anything IS confusing, allow me to help as best I can:
> 
> The Wolf's Eye, tl;dr  
Lupin and Jigen steal a gem that turns out to be connected to a pack of real, honest-to-god werewolves, and they end up agreeing to give it back in exchange for curing Jigen after he gets himself bitten. Lupin nearly gets himself killed several times on the way, Jigen almost forgets everything and nearly goes crazy, and at the end, they finally get their shit together and admit they're head-over-heels for each other right before they have to flee from Zenigata yet again.
> 
> Then this takes place starting a few hours after the end of that story.
> 
> Oh, and I can't forget to give oodles of thanks to any and everyone who clicked that link to come look at this thing. As much as I write for myself, I also love when I can give others something to enjoy, and I hope this fits the bill okay.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lupin and Jigen are somehow the last ones to find out they're a couple.

The enormity of making an emotional confession takes a while to sink in, especially when it's reciprocated. Even more so when the confession is made to the person who has been your best friend for years. After all, it's one thing to tell someone you love them after a near-death experience (or three), but figuring out where to go from there is something else entirely.

When the initial relief and exhilaration fade out, it leaves one very loaded question:

Now what?

They're sitting a couple feet apart, on opposite edges of the hotel room bed as they stare at everything but each other. The silence is suffocating. 

"So…" 

After being quiet for so long--or maybe not, neither of them have checked how much time has passed--just that one word is enough to make Lupin jump, looking back over his shoulder as Jigen continues. "What are we now?"

"A dashing master thief and his kickass gunslinger partner?"

Jigen finally turns around to scowl at him. _ "Besides _ that. You know what I mean."

Lupin gives a drawn-out hum as he flops over onto his back, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. 

Diving straight into romance is something he's familiar with, but when it's preceded by such a long friendship, somehow things become… complicated. This is unfamiliar territory; even his relationship with Fujiko had been flirty from the start, rather than strictly platonic. It's a strange transition for them to make.

"Well… what do you want us to be?" 

Jigen looks taken aback by the question, but he takes a moment to seriously think about it. "...I know I don't want you to be falling all over yourself with mushy crap like you do when you're looking for a fling."

"Fair, but I reserve the right to get romantic _ sometimes _, you gotta give me that." Lupin pouts a little to emphasize his point.

A pause. "...Just don't overdo it."

Content with that answer, the thief nods and rolls over onto his side, propping his chin on his hand. "We should probably keep it professional on the job, too."

Jigen hums agreement. "I guess it seems like… we don't want that much to change."

"Well, _ some _ things…" Lupin grins suggestively, but his partner just rolls his eyes.

"Honestly, I'm kinda surprised you didn't just jump me the second we got here."

"Hey, I can think about things other than sex!" The thief flips to his hands and knees so he can better lean forward in protest. _ "You _ kissed _ me, _ remember?"

"You're just mad I beat you to it."

"Yes I am!" Lupin makes no attempt to deny it. "And y'know what?"

Jigen doesn't have the chance to ask "what" before Lupin seizes his shoulders and shoves him down onto the mattress, where the thief looms over him with an absolutely devilish smirk.

"You agreed to make it up to me."

He takes a moment to drink in the flustered, startled look on Jigen's face, and when he sees no sign of objection, he closes the distance between them. 

Lupin practically purrs against his partner’s mouth as he drinks in every little gasp and groan, deepening the kiss when he feels fingers running through his hair. His tongue slowly explores, catching one last lick when he pulls back, and then he moves down to Jigen’s neck with a pleased hum. 

Lips, teeth, and tongue all work together to seek out the spots that drag out the most breathless gasps; that cause the gunman to arch into him for more. Lupin can’t restrain the smirk that crosses his face as he makes mental notes of every single one. 

Once he’s satisfied that he’s made several marks that are going to bruise, the thief sits up to start getting rid of all these damn clothes, but before he can so much as shrug out of his jacket...

Suddenly, there’s the screech of tires, the slam of a car door, and a terribly familiar voice barking outside. That can only mean one thing.

“Wow, he caught up quick,” Jigen remarks as he returns to his senses, propping himself up on one elbow to look towards the door. 

Lupin is also staring, but with a much less nonchalant expression. Somewhere between indignant, despairing, and just plain pissed off, the thief’s mouth hangs open for several seconds before he can manage words.

“What?! No! Pops, why?! Why now?!” He whips around to glower at Jigen as the gunman snickers at his misery. “Shut up, you have just as much reason to be upset as me!”

“Yeah, but I’m not the one with the patience of a horny teenager.”

Outside, Zenigata and his officers all jump at the sound of a loud, frustrated “AUGH!” from within the building, and a moment later, things devolve into chaos.

Three officers are immediately disarmed by shots from Jigen’s revolver, and the other two are bowled over by the criminals as they barrel out the door, sliding across the hood of a police car to reach the Fiat. Zenigata charges as they dive into the car, but Lupin reverses too quickly and he rushes into nothing but thin air. 

The thief leans out the window with an exasperated scowl. "I'll get you for this, Pops! I'll get you!"

Before Zenigata can even be properly confused by that, the Fiat whirls around in a handbrake turn and takes off, speeding into the distance.

* * *

By the time the sun creeps over the horizon, they've crossed the border and made it to one of Lupin's more modest safe houses. It's small, without a second floor or much room for storage, but tucked away on a side road far from prying eyes, which is exactly what they need right now.

Lupin finally, _ finally _ has no interruptions. He may have been forbidden from going over-the-top romantic, but he makes a point of taking the time to be _ thorough-- _ and _oh,_ is it worth it. He's going to be replaying those shudders and moans in his head for quite a while.

"Are you gonna be this smug every time?"

The thief looks up from the dusty bookshelf he's going through, making no attempt to hide the smirk that hasn't left his face since he got up from the bed. His partner has cracked one eye open to stare at him, and it's clear from his tone that there's no real malice in his words, even if he _ is _ trying his best to scowl.

Lupin hums in mock-thoughtfulness. "Depends, are you gonna make those noises every time?"

Jigen grumbles something unintelligible as he rolls over. 

"What was that?" Lupin asks sweetly, getting up and strolling back across the room. "Gotta speak up if you want me to hear you."

The look he gets over Jigen's shoulder could freeze lava. "Next time's your turn."

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” the thief’s grin gets even wider, giving no warning before he springs onto the mattress and drops on his partner in a gravity-powered embrace. A stream of curses erupts from under him, but this only makes him snicker, and for a minute they just tussle and tangle each other in the sheets, letting themselves laugh at the absurdity of the entire situation. 

A duo of internationally wanted criminals figuring out their feelings like a pair of children dealing with a first crush; they are two grown-ass men, but this had felt so daunting to them for so long. It seems so ridiculous now. Sure, this is all new, and problems may very well arise that they haven’t even thought about yet, but for now all that matters is they know what feelings lie between them, and it’s… nice. 

What a strange concept, that people like them can have something simply _ nice. _ They didn’t even have to steal it. However temporary this might be, it’s _ theirs_, and for once they earned it fair and square.

* * *

Hours later, Lupin is half asleep when realization hits him, causing him to throw one arm over his face and groan. A questioning grunt comes from beside him. 

“...I gotta call Fujiko.”

An annoyed scoff; Jigen clearly isn’t awake enough for words yet.

“I need… to tell her. About this.” Lupin waves one hand between them as explanation.

A grumbled, annoyed groan, asking another wordless question the thief has long since learned to understand.

“I know we’re open enough to not tell each other every time we have a hook-up, but…” Lupin cranes his neck to meet the single, barely opened eye looking at him. “You gotta admit, this is different.”

The answer is a heavy sigh, and he takes that as a sign of begrudging agreement.

Lupin isn’t sure what he expected Fujiko’s reaction to be: annoyance; anger; hurt if he was really unlucky. All he knows is he was not expecting her to sigh in exasperation and say, “Well _ finally.” _

“Wh-- Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?!” 

He can perfectly picture Fujiko tossing her hair over her shoulder as she scoffs. “You two have been making eyes at each other for _ ages, _ it’s been driving me nuts!”

“We have not!” the thief protests.

“You absolutely have. I’m sure Goemon’s noticed it, too.”

Lupin makes a face, even though she can’t see it. “Why didn’t you say anything, then?!”

“Would you have believed me?” Somehow, Fujiko’s pointed expression is almost audible.

He has no answer to that; or at least no answer he’s willing to give. 

“Exactly,” Fujiko says when he’s silent for several seconds. “So you two go on and have your honeymoon phase. I have to get back to work."

"And you're sure you're okay?"

She gives that clear, genuine laugh that makes the thief’s heart do backflips. "I'm a big girl, Lupin. I can share. If you're still worried, you can take me to dinner sometime to make up for not calling right away."

When Lupin returns to flop face-first on the bed, Jigen has finally become fully conscious, sitting up and debating whether or not it’s worth the effort of getting up for a smoke. The thief’s muffled groan is enough to get his mind off it, but just barely.

“So? We gonna have a problem?” he asks, nudging Lupin with his foot.

The thief lifts his head to reveal an impressive sulk. _ “Apparently, _ she already knew it was gonna happen.”

He takes a moment to be startled by this, but quickly scowls and gives a dismissive shrug. “She’s just messing with you.”

Lupin says nothing for a minute.

“What day is it? Is it the fifteenth yet?”

Jigen blinks as the thief leaps up without waiting for an answer, already tapping away at his phone with an expression somewhere between annoyed and determined. That look is almost always trouble. 

“Wait, what’re you doing?”

“Fujiko said,” Lupin glances up for maybe half a second before his eyes become glued to the screen again, “That she bets Goemon noticed it too.”

Another second passes, and Jigen realizes where the thief’s stupid train of thought is headed. He sighs; there’s nowhere near enough caffeine or nicotine in his system to deal with this right now. 

“Lupin, stop.”

The only response is a vague grunt that shows the thief isn’t really listening.

“Lupin,” the gunman leans forward and covers the phone with his hand, making the thief jump in surprise. “You can’t track down Goemon just to find out if Fujiko’s full of shit or not.”

“Maybe not, but I _ can _ track down Goemon for a job and just happen to ask him a question while doing so.”

Jigen fixes him with a skeptical stare. “Do you _ have _ a job lined up?”

“Not yet,” Lupin admits without a hint of concern. “But I’ll think of something.”

There’s no arguing with him now, it’s clear by the look in his eye, so the gunman simply sighs and drags himself out of bed, leaving Lupin to the multi-step task of getting ahold of their elusive samurai companion. At least doing a job to prove Fujiko wrong is still better than doing a job to get a gift for her.

Claiming a lawn chair on the small patio, Jigen lights a cigarette and finally dares to let himself be alone with his thoughts.

There’s still so much of this that doesn’t make sense to him. If there’s anything to Fujiko’s claim, then how long have they been drifting towards each other? Why did Lupin, usually a master of confidence, take so long to admit his feelings--could he really have been _ nervous? _

If so… Why? 

As much as he dislikes her, Jigen would be the first to admit there’s a lot about Fujiko that could be considered attractive, while he’s… Well. He’s himself. Even if he doesn’t touch the issue of why in the world Lupin would be emotionally drawn to him in the first place, there’s still the question of how he could make the thief so anxious that he didn’t make a move until he thought they might lose each other. How could he affect Lupin in a way that even Fujiko didn’t? 

It’s just _ bizarre _ . Part of him can’t help but assume it’s temporary, that Lupin’s fancy will flit away to someone else once he gets bored, and Jigen will just have to readjust to plain old friendship. They’ve been running together for so long that he’s no longer afraid of being cut loose completely, but… Will he be able to go back after tasting more? How much will that hurt when… _ if _ it happens?

_ A lot, _ his mind tells him almost immediately. 

Before he can do any more wrestling with his own thoughts, Lupin’s voice yells from inside so loud it makes him jump.

“OH MY GOD.”

Sounds like he got ahold of Goemon. 

A couple minutes pass, and Lupin emerges from the house, dropping into a second lawn chair and starting to drum his fingers on the armrest--a sure sign that he’s stressed.

“Sounds like that went well,” Jigen remarks dryly as he offers his cigarette to the thief.

Lupin huffs through his nose, but accepts the smoke and takes a long pull of it. When he does speak, after leaning his head back and blowing a smoke ring into the air, it’s in a perfect imitation of Goemon’s voice. “I was under the impression you were already together.”

“...Huh.” Maybe he’s reading too much into this, after all. Maybe they’re both just incredibly stupid.

* * *

They spend the next three days going back and forth between usual pre-heist preparations, and getting very distracted by one another. Fujiko really hit the nail on the head when she called it the honeymoon phase, as Lupin in particular seems even more incapable of keeping his hands to himself than usual, both sexually and when he’s just feeling cuddly. Scarcely an hour can go by without him glomming onto his partner on a whim, cackling at any scolding he receives--there’s never any bite to the objections, anyway. 

Somehow, despite it all, they have a plan hashed together by the time there’s a knock on the door to signal Goemon’s arrival. 

It’s a fairly simple job: a raid on an art gallery to grab several of the more valuable pieces. There aren’t many alleys or winding streets to make use of for a getaway, so Goemon and Jigen will have to break them through whatever law enforcement shows up, which shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Lupin has mapped out the exact locations of his ‘shopping list’ in the gallery, and planned a path through the building that will let him get in, nab it all in the least amount of time, and get out again.

Simple.

To his credit, it’s going just the way Lupin said it would. The police are no match for the pair of killers blocking them from pursuing the thief inside, and they haven’t even broken a sweat when Lupin reappears with the haul, at the exact second he said he would.

He’s so pleased, in fact, that the second they dash away from the building and round a corner, he can’t resist the urge to steal a kiss while Goemon is clearing a path ahead.

“AHA--Ah.”

Both Lupin and Jigen nearly jump out of their skin in surprise at the sudden shout, their eyes only widening further when they turn to see Zenigata skidding to a halt around the corner behind them. His startled expression makes it pretty clear that he saw.

It’s funny, but it suddenly occurs to Lupin that despite their years of playing cat-and-mouse, he doesn’t think he’s ever actually found out how Zenigata views homosexuality. Pops is a pretty good guy, so he can’t imagine him being one of those people who still see it as ‘wrong’ somehow, but… you really never know with these things.

Still, he manages to wipe the trepidation off his face and flash the inspector a grin. “Now now, Pops. It’s rude to interrupt, y’know.” 

The tension in the gunman beside him makes it clear he’s thinking along similar lines, metaphorical hackles raised and his entire frame bristling. Lupin silently grabs his hand.

That moment seems to last for an agonizing eternity, until finally Zenigata breaks the silence…

“Oh. Well it’s about damn time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I can tell just what you want  
You don't want to be alone  
You don't want to be alone  
And I can't say it's what you know  
But you've known it the whole time  
Yeah, you've known it the whole time
> 
> \-- “What You Know” Two Door Cinema Club
> 
> Did you guys know I'm a sucker for song lyrics? I may or may not continue to add bits from songs I find relevant to the ships, depending on how annoying and pretentious it is to you guys.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang's warriors have a chat that leaves them with more questions than answers, Lupin puts on his thinking cap, and the plot shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a Goemon chapter! Also my first time ever writing him, so let's see if I can avoid characterizing him poorly, shall we?
> 
> I'm glad people seem to be liking this, even though my plan of what's to come is a bit more fragmented than my previous fic. I'm hoping to balance the emotional romantic plot with a sprawling adventure, and hopefully that'll work out without too many hiccups. If updates slow down, it's probably because I'm spending more time actually brainstorming.

The house is quiet. After escaping the police and making their way back with the stolen art, Lupin took the pieces into a room to check them over, and Jigen stalked out to the patio without a word, presumably to smoke. This leaves Goemon with a couple options. He can try to rest in the spare room, or… go outside to train or meditate. 

Outside where Jigen is.

He’s perplexed by his own trepidation at the thought. He has been able to meditate in the gunman’s presence before, and it was certainly easier than doing so around Lupin or Fujiko. So why is it that now he finds himself so reluctant to approach?

Telling himself his worries are baseless, the samurai takes a moment to settle himself before he strides out to the patio.

The same aura of tension that has been present since they regrouped during the escape is still clinging to Jigen, and Goemon can  _ feel _ rather than see those dark eyes fix on him the moment he appears through the door. He returns the look with a neutral expression.

"So, how long did you think we were…" Jigen finally breaks the silence, but grimaces and trails off before finishing his question.

It doesn't take too long for the pieces to click in Goemon's head, making him tense and close his eyes in embarrassment. Of course Lupin would have told Jigen about their talk over the phone.

"I… apologize for making such an assumption."

"It don't matter now anyway," the gunman shrugs. "But really, how long did you think this was going on?"

Goemon thinks for a moment, then quietly admits, "Just under a year."

"Ah."

"I thought you were not comfortable talking about it, so I never asked."

Neither of them are looking at each other, so out of their depth talking about this sort of thing it's a wonder they aren't drowning in the awkwardness.

Goemon debates leaving things there, but something about the slump of Jigen's shoulders makes him stay. "You seem upset."

"Huh?" The gunman looks up in surprise. "Nah, just… having trouble makin' all this add up."

"What do you mean?"

Jigen breathes out a cloud of smoke as he seems to carefully consider his words. "Seems like everybody saw this coming for a while, which means you saw it in Lupin, too."

He pauses and glances at Goemon as if to ask for confirmation. The samurai nods.

"And that's just it. You know Lupin; when he wants something or someone, he goes for it. So why didn't he for so long?"

"As much as it sometimes does not seem like it, he  _ is _ human," Goemon remarks carefully. "He could have simply been… nervous."

Jigen huffs in exasperation. "But  _ why? _ That's what I don't get."

"You are special to him in a way his other courtships are not."

The look of shock on the gunman's face is so raw and genuine, it causes a pang of sadness in Goemon's chest. Jigen truly doesn't seem to understand his own qualities that drew Lupin in, only able to compare himself to the thief's past conquests as if he thinks all the time the two of them have spent together doesn't make a difference--as though nothing about him could be that likable.

Goemon can understand that, to an extent. He and Jigen are similar in a number of ways: they have both spent most of their lives as weapons; instruments of death to be bought, traded, and set aside when they are no longer needed. Anything about them aside from their ability to destroy was unimportant. They merely drifted from kill to kill, never truly connected to anything but blade or gun, convincing themselves they needed nothing else.

And in both their cases, it was a thief in a brightly colored jacket who broke the cycle.

"I may be overstepping my bounds, but…" Goemon dares to continue when it becomes clear Jigen is at a total loss for words. "I think he has always valued more about you than you realize. That is part of what made us notice that you two seemed drawn to one another."

The samurai goes silent and stiffens as he realizes Jigen's fingers are trembling around his cigarette. Has he said too much? He rarely tries to get involved in other people's emotional turmoil; he almost never knows what to say, so he leaves those things to those who are better at it. Did he do this wrong?

But before he can fret too much, Jigen speaks again in a low voice.

"I'll… think about that."

* * *

When they both eventually go back inside, they find Lupin sitting on the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs as he stares intently at the coffee table in front of him.

Part of the haul from the gallery is sitting there: two intricately carved chess pieces made from some kind of crystal and inlaid with gold. Two knights: one white, and one black. Lupin is staring at them the same way he looks at a particularly complicated puzzle, which causes his companions to exchange a perplexed glance as they approach.

"Either of you ever heard of the Dead Man's Board?" The thief's sudden question is the first indication that he even noticed his companions enter the room, his eyes still fixed on the chess pieces.

Goemon shakes his head while Jigen frowns thoughtfully. "I dunno. Feel like I might've heard the name somewhere, but…"

"It's a collection," Lupin explains after his partner trails off. "A chess set that was custom-made for an eccentric noble roughly two hundred years ago by an unknown artist. When the noble died, part of his will called for the pieces to be scattered, with no explanation as to why, and since then they've ended up all over the world in galleries and private collections."

Lupin's gaze finally flicks up, with that glint in his eye that signals something big. "Then a rumor spread that the old man had the chess pieces made special, so that if they were all brought together, they would unlock a hidden fortune. Gold, jewels, art, you name it."

"I'm guessing there's a 'but' coming," Jigen remarks as he falls onto the couch beside the thief.

" 'But' indeed." Lupin nods. "A number of people have tried to collect all the pieces, but every time they end up getting killed by someone else who wants the treasure, who in turn gets killed by another greedy bastard, and so on and so on until the pieces are lost again. Hence the name, Dead Man's Board: everyone trying to complete the board end up dead."

Goemon fixes him with a steady gaze. "And you intend to take up the challenge."

"Well, I wasn't sure originally. Not all the pieces are officially accounted for, and there have been forgeries made over the years." The thief taps on the coffee table next to the little knights, a devilish smirk pulling at his mouth. "But I took a look, and I'm sure of it: these are legit."

"So you want us to go on worldwide treasure hunt that kills everybody who tries it, for a treasure that may or may not exist." Despite his skeptical words, Jigen's tone is accepting. This kind of thing is business as usual for them at this point.

Lupin flashes a grin. "Well I mean, technically we've already started. Two down, thirty to go!"

"Gee, we're practically done already."

The thief's smile doesn't waver as he pats his partner's leg. "Well, most of the pieces are in groups already. Two here, three there… I think some crime lord somewhere has five."

Despite Jigen's scoff, Goemon can tell just by looking at the two of them that it's already settled. The signs are all there, from their body language to the barely contained glee in Lupin's eyes--and the samurai can't think of a solid reason to argue, either. It sounds like a good challenge.

* * *

The evening passes in about as domestic a way as possible. Various tasks to do with dinner are divvied up (despite Lupin’s attempted argument that he has to go do research instead), from cooking to washing dishes, and when everything is finished they migrate back to the living room. 

He’d never admit it, but Goemon has a soft spot for times like this. The breaths in between their hectic heists, where things can slow down and they can simply…  _ be.  _ Whether or not they even interact with each other, just existing together is something Goemon truly misses when he isn’t hanging around with this gang. 

“Oh  _ shit!” _

Lupin’s cry makes the samurai flinch, hand instinctively twitching towards Zantetsuken, but when he looks up he sees the thief’s face lit up with delight as he stares at the TV screen.

“I haven’t seen this in ages! I’m taking the remote, no one’s changing the channel now.” Lupin is practically wriggling in his seat, glancing at Jigen and Goemon as if challenging them to object. Neither of them do, and the thief seems satisfied. 

The movie is not one the samurai would have expected Lupin to be so fond of: the original black-and-white Godzilla. He’s never seen it, but finds himself oddly drawn in, even with the very dated 1950’s effects. It isn’t as childish as he would have thought, with a deceptive amount of thought under what might seem like a silly surface--not unlike Lupin himself, actually. Intelligence hiding under a ridiculous appearance that can be easily dismissed by the unobservant.

A small, disgruntled noise suddenly draws his attention away from the screen. 

Lupin is demonstrating his tendency towards the ridiculous by practically climbing onto Jigen, while grinning down at Goemon and patting the couch where he had been a moment ago. 

“C’mon, you look lonesome down there.”

The samurai blinks. “You don’t need to do that.”

Lupin’s grin only widens, and he lifts his hand to wiggle his fingers at Goemon. “Maybe, but we’d all be nice and cozy together, and I’d get more of an excuse to cuddle.”

“You’re a master of subtlety, Lupin.” Jigen says dryly.

“Gooooemoooooon,” the thief ignores his partner to continue pestering the flustered samurai.

He can’t find the words to argue, and so finds himself getting up and silently settling on the couch with as much space as possible between himself and his companions. Lupin sighs happily and continues to cling to Jigen like a koala, who for his part seems quite content despite his grumbling, and they settle back into watching the movie.

As tiny model Tokyo burns, Goemon becomes aware of two conflicting sensations. 

He feels like an intruder, getting in the way of something special that is still sprouting; and now that he sees his friends when they’re actually together, he feels even more ridiculous for thinking they already had been for so long. More than the rather obvious display of Lupin nearly sitting in Jigen’s lap, there’s something different about the way they move around each other now, a certain closeness and lack of hesitation. Is it really alright for him to be so close?

The other emotion says it is. There’s a warm feeling that comes from sitting here, from being  _ wanted  _ here. Even though a secret in his heart means he can never have something like it, just being in close proximity to such a bond is enough to soothe any lonely ache that tries to rear its head. Can’t he just enjoy it for a little while?

For now… just for now.   
  


Eventually Godzilla is destroyed, and Lupin practically drags Jigen off to bed, tutting something about them all needing extra sleep for the start of their hunt tomorrow. 

“That means you too, Goemon,” the thief calls back over his shoulder, shooting him a wink before he disappears through the door. 

The samurai is left with his own thoughts and the knot of emotions sitting heavy in his chest. 

* * *

Lupin barely emerges for most of the next morning, only appearing briefly when Jigen half-drags, half-carries him to the kitchen for food. They know this part of the process very well: waiting while the thief pours over every scrap of information on their next target he can find, leaving them to occupy themselves in the meantime. 

Usually, it’s something they’re more than comfortable doing, but despite their best efforts to act like their conversation yesterday didn’t happen, an awkward tension is still hanging in the air. They’re both too stubborn to duck out and let the discomfort win, but trying to actually start talking feels so daunting. And so they sit there for what feels like an eternity, slowly going insane with every tick of the clock on the wall.

Jigen is halfway out of his seat, reaching to take the clock and bash it with the nearest blunt object, when Lupin kicks the bedroom door open and strides out with a rolled up paper in his arms and a grin on his face. 

“Okay! Who’s ready to pick a route?”

“Was that not part of what you were doing?” Goemon cocks his head to the side ever-so-slightly.

The thief unrolls what he’s carrying on the table: a world map with roughly a dozen locations circled, notes scribbled next to each one in Lupin’s handwriting. “Oh come on, don’t you wanna be part of the process? I’m trying to be nice, here.”

“Wait wait wait,” Jigen interrupts and leans forward to point at one of the circled areas. “Is that fucking  _ Antarctica?!” _

“Yyyyeah, but we can leave that one ‘til later.” Lupin waves his partner’s hand away as he tries to draw their attention to less hostile places. “So what’re we thinkin’, boys? Wanna pay a visit to some museums? Rob the Irish mob? Go digging in a ruined church?”

Goemon and Jigen exchange a look over Lupin’s head. This hunt is shaping up to be great, horrible, or probably both. 

“Oh! There’s also a Russian black market dealer who has a couple, too, if we’re feeling brave.”

Definitely both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I really love old-school monster movies, with my favorite being the original Mothra from 1961, so I projected a little of that onto Lupin here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt begins, but of course no heist can ever go perfectly smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I feel like this chapter kinda got away from me a bit. It feels kinda short, but I couldn't really think of it ending any other place, so I'm leaving it the way it is because I do still rather like it. But I'm not really sure what the core of this bit actually is...
> 
> Oh well!
> 
> I'm thrilled this has already almost got 100 hits, you guys are great. I'll try to deliver on the standard I've set for myself, even though I'm still deciding what order everything should happen, and if you have any thoughts as to what you wanna see next, do let me know!

The roar of engines, wailing sirens, and screeching tires engulfs the night. Police cars converge from seemingly every direction, weaving through alleys and tearing past startled civilians, all zeroing in on a little yellow Fiat.

One car manages to draw close to the Fiat, but before it can get within ten feet, a gunshot rings out and the police car whirls out of control with a blown tire. Several others crash into it and come to a halt, as the Fiat takes another tight corner to dart away from the remaining pursuers.

The police don’t seem to realize they’re being herded onto a straightaway until it’s too late.

A shadowy figure leaps down from a rooftop, the city lights reflecting off his blade in a wide arc. Several sweeping blows occur in an instant, and by the time Goemon lands on the roof of the Fiat, a number of stop lights and lamp posts have come crashing down into the street to block the police, causing a massive pileup of debris and cars that clogs the entire road.

Lupin whoops in delight as the samurai drops into the backseat. 

“Beautiful job, gentlemen!” The thief flashes them both a grin as they whip around another corner. “Five down; we’ve got ourselves a proper little collection now!”

“There are more coming,” Goemon interrupts him, pointing to another fleet of cars that’s moving to cut them off.

It’s not the police this time. Sleek cars built for speed, bulky vehicles with entirely too much power, all painted black and moving in perfect coordination. 

“Lupin,” Jigen turns to scowl at him. “Was that museum paying for mafia protection?”

“Might’ve been.”

“For fuck’s sake, Lupin! You coulda mentioned that earlier!” Jigen throws up his hands in exasperation as much as the tight space will allow.

The thief huffs as he swerves the Fiat out of the way of gunfire from the frontmost car. “If I had, you would’ve just thrown a fit--like you’re doing now!”

“Oh I wonder freakin’ why!”

“Arguing will not help us escape,” Goemon cuts in with a pointed frown at both of his companions. “You can fight each other later.”

They both give a grudging “hmph,” and the matter is set aside for now. Lupin yanks the steering wheel to drift the Fiat around a corner, just barely keeping ahead of their pursuers as Jigen leans out the window and starts shooting. The first two cars are spun out without trouble, but when one of the bigger SUVs swerves in front to shield the rest, the gunman curses under his breath and pulls himself back inside.

“Bulletproof tires and glass on those ones,” he shakes his head while Lupin hums idly.

“You’d almost think they’re upset about something.”

Jigen glowers at him, but doesn’t dare actually hitting the thief while he’s responsible for keeping them alive and out of the mafia’s hands.

Taking as many tight corners as possible is all that's keeping the hulking cars from catching up to them, and Lupin’s mind clicks away at a rapid pace as he recalls every map of this city he looked at in preparation for the heist. Hopefully they can get out of town without too many straightaways, but after that it’ll be trickier to keep ahead of the mafia thugs on the highway, and they may have to do a little fighting before they’re properly safe. Not that it’s too much of a concern with his brains and Goemon and Jigen’s skills, of course, but it’s always nice when they can make a getaway without having to commit murder in the process. 

Ah well, it’s just mafia grunts anyway.

“Lupin!” 

A warning from beside him draws the thief’s gaze, just in time to see another black car appear from an alley and streak towards them. At that angle and speed, it’ll ram them no matter how quick Lupin hits the gas, but Goemon is moving before the thief even turns back to him, climbing out the sunroof with an intense expression.

Zantetsuken flashes, and the car falls in half.

One half slides by harmlessly, but the other clips the back of the Fiat, spinning them and forcing Goemon to duck back inside to keep from stumbling as Lupin hisses a curse under his breath. The sound of bullets hitting metal rings out as some of the thugs finally manage to shoot the little yellow car, but in doing so they leave their hands vulnerable out of the windows. Jigen wastes no time in taking advantage of their mistake.

Guns clatter to the street and are swept away as they tear up a ramp onto the highway, weaving around cars as they ignore the yells and blaring horns of civilians. A couple more mafia cars have been stopped by the traffic, but there are still four or five coming. 

“Hmm, they sure are persistent,” Lupin muses as he glances at their pursuers in the rearview mirror.

“The mafia usually is,” Jigen huffs in annoyance.

“Oh lighten up, it’ll be fine!”

Jigen doesn’t answer, going tense as he stares out Lupin’s window, and the thief doesn’t need to ask what’s going on. He just rolls down the window and leans back to avoid blocking his partner’s shots.

Two bangs, the sound of shattering glass, and cries of pain to his left bring a smirk to Lupin’s face, only to have it wiped away when the gangsters’ car slams into a truck, and he has to jerk the wheel to swerve away from the wreck as bits of glass and metal fly through the air. The crash seems to be in their favor, though, as the other goons quickly get caught in the pileup and fall behind. 

“Well that could’ve gone a lot worse, you gotta admit.” Lupin reaches up to brush tiny shards of glass from his hair. 

Neither of his companions speak, but he can feel their stares boring into his head. Oh well, can’t please everybody.

* * *

Their current hideout is notably bigger than the last one, and also a place that Lupin is particularly fond of. It sits on a cliff by the ocean, with a nice balcony overlooking the view, and the house itself hits a good balance of big enough to be luxurious without being too huge to feel homey. 

He’s vaguely wondering to himself if his friends will be willing to take a break to relax here for a day or two before they move on, when Goemon suddenly strides forward with a serious look on his face.

“Lupin, your arm.”

“My a--oh.” The thief blinks as he looks down to see a big, ugly shard of glass lodged in his upper left arm, and he suddenly becomes aware of something warm and wet sliding all the way down to his wrist. It must have hit him when that mafia car crashed, but between the adrenaline and sheer chaos of the situation, it just hadn’t registered. 

“Whoops,” is all that trips out of his stupid mouth. 

“Yeah, ‘whoops.’ Come on,” Jigen takes him by the good arm and starts pulling him to the house. “We’re dealing with that before anything else.” 

Within ten minutes, Lupin is sitting cross-legged on the floor of the master bathroom, panting as the blinding pain in his arm ebbs away to be replaced by a much more manageable ache. He glances at the huge, bloody piece of glass as though it personally insulted him, while Jigen sets it aside with the tweezers that removed it, and finally Lupin turns to Goemon with a weak smile.

“Hope I didn’t break any of your fingers.”

The samurai had been holding his right hand to ground him during the painful extraction, and is still looking at him with such intense eyes that it’s a little startling to meet his gaze.

Goemon just shakes his head.

“Well that’s good.” Lupin pauses a moment. “Uh, can I have my hand back now?” 

Flinching as though he somehow hadn’t realized he was still clutching Lupin’s hand, Goemon quickly jerks his hand away and mutters an embarrassed apology, but the thief just grins. 

“Hey, I’m not gonna complain about hot guys worrying over me.” He starts to say more, but a swat from Jigen distracts him and he turns to pout at his partner, missing the flustered look that flickers across Goemon’s face.

After that, it’s a simple matter of cleaning and binding the wound, and Lupin’s shirt and jacket are left as the only casualties of their escape. Goemon excuses himself to go train at the shore while the others reacquainte themselves with the house, having not been there in over six months, and it isn’t too long before they both wander their way to the balcony Lupin loves so much. 

The silence is… tense. Jigen has barely said a word the entire time they spent looking around, and it’s clearly getting on Lupin’s nerves by the increasing number of sideways glances the thief is shooting at him. Does he even understand what the problem is? He may be one of the smartest men in the world, but he can be remarkably dense at times. 

Leaning against the railing and staring out at the water, the thief finally speaks up. “...Are you really mad about the mafia thing?” 

So he does know. Good. 

“Yeah, I am.”

“What for? We still got away,” Lupin huffs, turning to look at his partner. “And the only person who got hurt at all was me!”

“You think that’s not a problem?!” Jigen rounds on him with such an intense look, the thief actually flinches. “If that glass had flown in six inches higher, it would’ve gone in your goddamn neck! I know we live on luck sometimes, but fucking Christ, Lupin!” 

The thief scowls through the confusion in his gaze. “It could’ve, but it didn’t! And even if I had told you about the mafia, it could’ve happened anyway!”

He’s right, of course. Connecting the lack of transparency to Lupin’s injury isn’t really fair; things can go wrong for them no matter how well prepared they are. There are two different issues here. Getting angry and letting everything mash together into one upset tornado might be the easiest path to take, but Jigen will never get what he’s trying to say across like this--even if it  _ is _ hard to swallow.

Lupin’s voice is quieter when he speaks again, like he too is pushing back his combative instincts. “Talk to me. That’s... part of the whole relationship thing, right?”

When he looks up again, Lupin is watching him with a strangely anxious expression. 

“...Okay. I’m pissed about the mafia thing. It would’ve taken five seconds to let us know, but you didn’t.” 

“I knew they wouldn’t be able to get all their best guys together in time once we hit the museum, so I didn’t think it’d be enough of a problem to worry about,” Lupin admits, absently rubbing his injured arm. “I know you always get nervous when big, well-organized gangs get involved, so I thought I’d be saving you a pointless headache.”

“I don’t get…” Jigen cuts himself off and grimaces. “Okay, yeah I do. But that’s cuz I’ve  _ worked _ for gangs like that, and you poking the tiger all the time is…”

A reminder. A reminder of blood-stained concrete, of predatory smiles and tortured screams. He knows what happens to people who earn the disapproval of the underworld, and even though he knows Lupin is way too competent to meet the same fate, that apprehension is still ingrained in every fiber of his being. It had to be, to keep him alive in that world for so long. 

Jigen realizes he’s been silent for too long, but it seems Lupin knows what he would have said anyway.

“I get it, you don’t want me to end up sleeping with the fishes.” The thief smiles briefly at his own shitty joke. “But I don’t want you losing sleep worrying every time we do a job that involves the mob, either.”

“Too late for that.”

Lupin sidles closer so their shoulders are touching as they lean against the balcony railing. “And that’s exactly why I didn’t wanna tell you.”

They’re quiet for a minute, both deep in their own thoughts. 

“If I try to get a little less freaked out about the gangster shit, will you try to tell me before we start pissing them off?” Jigen finally asks, glancing sidelong at Lupin.

The thief lets out a long breath through his nose. “...Okay, fair enough.” 

Another pause, then Lupin continues, “There’s something else bugging you, right?”

When he thinks about it now, apart from the anger of before, it almost feels silly. “Eh, not really. Just gettin’ worked up when you get hurt, you know how it goes.”

“Well I gotta admit, I hadn’t thought about the glass almost going in my neck thing, so thanks for that nightmare.” Lupin gives an exaggerated grimace and rubs at his throat

Jigen snorts in amusement. “Welcome to my whole damn life. At this rate, I might just keel over from worrying ‘bout you before anything else can kill me.”

The sunrise is breaking over the sea, reflecting off the water below and clouds above in a burst of color that somehow makes them both tired, rather than energized. They stand there and watch the world slowly light up, sharing a smoke and saying nothing as they simply soak up each other’s company. Neither is sure when their fingers lace together.

It isn’t until the sun has left the horizon behind that Lupin finally nudges Jigen with his elbow.

“Bed?”

“Bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's... so gay. So very gay.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang realizes they don't all know each other as well as they thought, and possible troubles appear on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's heee-eeeeere.
> 
> Well, we're finally getting to a bit that will actually be more angst than fluff for a change! ...I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but every now and then I do need to release my inner angst gremlin, so brace for that.
> 
> Hugs for everybody, and my offer does still stand: suggest stuff you're curious to see next, because I'm tossing pieces together in whatever order I can make them fit.

If there's one thing Fujiko knows about Lupin, it's that trouble  _ always _ follows in his wake. Whether it's something as small as running into someone because he's distracted by a cute girl, or as big as stealing secrets that could topple a government--there's always  _ something _ around him to cause chaos. Honestly, he seems to relish it; every problem is another puzzle for him to solve.

Which is why she isn't the least bit surprised by the state she finds him in.

A box truck is toppled on its side at the bottom of a steep hill, and has somehow caught on fire. Seated on the ground beside it is Lupin, simultaneously working on a safe and bickering with Jigen like an old married couple (which they basically  _ are,  _ in her opinion), while Goemon stands to the side looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here.

Fujiko almost considers turning around and leaving before they spot her. It would certainly save her a headache, but her curiosity and admittedly feeble conscience won't let her get any sleep tonight if she does.

Heaving a sigh, she slides down the ruined hillside and strolls up to the scene like she owns the place. Confidence is key.

“You and your fucking shortcuts!”

“We’re alive, aren’t we?! Stop bitching at me!”

“Why can’t you just stay on the goddamn road like a normal person?!”

“Hey, it didn’t look that steep from-- Fujiko!”

Lupin’s face lights up as he spots her, with that genuine delight that makes her purr internally every time. Jigen looks up with a muttered “ugh” and his usual stare of distaste and suspicion whenever she arrives, which she returns with the usual cool smile.

“Hi to you too, Jigen.”

Rather than answer, he just wrinkles his nose and stalks over to Goemon, apparently more interested in distancing himself from Fujiko than continuing to argue with Lupin. Well that’s just fine with her.

“You boys left quite a trail to follow, you know,” she remarks, looking up at the line of destruction left by the truck all the way to the top of the hill. “I hope no one’s still chasing you aside from me.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be outta here way before anybody catches up.” Lupin glances up to smile at her while continuing to work on the safe. How he does that without even looking is still both amazing and annoying.

Fujiko hums thoughtfully, but doesn’t push the subject. “If you say so. That’s not why I’m here, anyway.”

“You just missed me, then?”

She sighs at his cheeky grin. “I’m not going to answer that. Lupin… are you really doing this?”

The thief hums in mock confusion, batting his eyes at her.

“The Dead Man’s Board.” Fujiko places her hands on her hips. “People are starting to notice you taking pieces.”

“That’s fine.”

“Is it?”

“Yup,” Lupin nods without looking up. “The smart ones won’t come after us until we have most or all of the pieces, and the dumb ones…” He trails off with a laugh. 

“Well at least you have a plan,” she remarks sarcastically, sighing and turning her attention away from Lupin. “Hey Goemon!”

The samurai blinks and acknowledges her with a tilt of his head.

“Does the name Fleischer mean anything to you?”

Both Goemon and Jigen frown thoughtfully, the wheels in their heads practically visible as they ponder the name.

“Not that I can recall, no,” Goemon says after a moment, almost apologetic as he shakes his head.

“Ain’t there some gangster with that name?” Jigen cuts in.

Fujiko nods. “There is, and he’s been asking around for people to come after you for some reason. Thought I’d let you know.”

“You kill someone close to this guy?” Jigen glances at the samurai, who still seems to be sifting through memories in search of the name.

“...I probably did.” Goemon sighs. “I have killed too many people to remember every one.”

Jigen lights a cigarette in the flames leaping from the truck and pats the samurai’s shoulder. “Yeah, that’ll happen.”

_ “There _ we go!” Lupin exclaims as a metallic clunk signals the opening of the safe. “And that’s seven pieces down!”

* * *

Much to Lupin’s delight and Jigen’s annoyance, Fujiko doesn’t leave after delivering her messages. She’s also fond of this safe house by the sea, and is curious to see the other pieces of the Board (“I won’t touch them, Jigen, relax!”), so she decides to tag along with them before Lupin can even make the offer.

Things seem normal… but something is off. A certain strain behind Lupin’s cheerfulness. He’s watching Jigen and Fujiko very closely, but is trying to hide it. 

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why: he’s nervous. Scared, even. This is the first time he’s had both of his love interests together since they were both confirmed to  _ be _ his love interests, turning this whole scenario into a relationship stress test. 

The thief seems to have taken it upon himself to dart between them every time they even think about disagreeing on something, steering them apart with varying levels of panic until he looks ready to collapse. It’s exhausting just to watch him, and it’s getting increasingly annoying.

“Lupin, this has to stop.”

He freezes in place from the doorway where he had been bodily shoving a protesting Jigen out of the room, frightened eyes turning back to Fujiko. 

“Uh, whatcha mean, Fujicakes?” Lupin is trying and failing to hide the anxiety in both his expression and voice.

She fixes him with a disapproving stare. “We aren’t gonna claw each other’s eyes out the second you relax, you know.”

“Give us a  _ little _ credit,” Jigen adds with a scowl.

Lupin wilts and glances back and forth between them, looking truly pathetic. It almost makes Fujiko change her mind about scolding him. ...Almost.

“You can’t keep acting like this every time we’re all together,” she explains, gesturing for the thief to come back to the couch. “Everyone will just end up miserable that way.”

“I know you’ll start fighting, though. You always do.” Lupin mopes back into the room and tugs Jigen along with him by the wrist, like a child dragging a security blanket.

They exchange a guilty look over Lupin’s head as he drops onto the couch in a slump.

“Maybe we do, but this is a lousy way to get us to stop.” Jigen sits down on the opposite side of the thief from Fujiko, though his tone is less harsh than his words. 

Lupin snorts in annoyance. “Well I gotta do  _ something, _ since it’s pretty clear you guys are never even gonna try!”

Things are silent for a minute, those words seeming to echo and hang in the air.

“I can’t choose between you, y’know.” Lupin finally admits in a quiet voice.

Fujiko reaches over to place a hand on his leg. “You’ve been worrying about this a lot.”

“Well yeah,” Lupin laughs bitterly. “I know I’m Mr. Romance, but I’ve never had two steady, really important partners at the same time before. Especially ones who fight like cats and dogs. ...I don’t wanna let this get screwed up.”

He suddenly seems to realize the weight of the admission he just made, and immediately flips the switch to his usual energy again, taking a deep breath and sitting up straight as he glances between the two guilty, searching faces looking at him.

“I’ll say it now, and I’ll say it again as many times as I have to: I’m not gonna leave either of you for the other. Ever.”

Fujiko bites back the urge to say she isn’t worried about that, but even if it  _ is _ mostly true, saying so will only make things worse. They’ll have to talk this out in detail, but… She’s so tired now. Half the reason she wanted to come stay with Lupin for a bit is to get away from working for a little while, to indulge in one of his crazy heists and maybe just relax while he trips over himself to please her. Because as often as she has people wrapped around her finger, there’s just something about Lupin that feels… better, somehow. 

“We’ll get there, Lupin,” Fujiko pats the thief’s leg before standing up and brushing a curl of hair behind her ear. “You just can’t expect it to happen overnight, okay? I’ll let you know if I have a problem, and…”

She trails off and shoots Jigen an expectant look, which he returns with a scowl that quickly falls away into a sigh. “Well you already know I got no problem tellin’ you when we fight.”

Fujiko makes a face at him, but Lupin releases some of the tension in his shoulders and nods, giving the first completely genuine smile he’s had all evening. She hums contentedly and runs a hand through his short hair before turning to leave for the balcony--she’ll be the bigger person here and let Jigen talk to the thief alone first.

There was a time when Fujiko would have been startled, maybe even angry, to walk outside and find Goemon seated on the ground right by the door, but she’s long since grown accustomed to finding the samurai meditating basically anywhere he pleases. Funnily enough, she finds she doesn’t even mind the thought of him listening in on such a heavy conversation, either.

He’s a strange one, their samurai. He never leaps at the chance to spend time with her like Lupin and so many other men do, but despite her deceiving and using him the first time they met, Goemon has never seemed to hold Fujiko in the same kind of contempt Jigen does. He doesn’t trust her, but he doesn’t hate her, either. It’s sort of refreshing.

“I take it you heard all that?” she remarks, leaning against the balcony and gazing out at the moonlit sea.

There’s a pause, as though he’s thinking about whether or not to answer.

“...I did.”

Fujiko smiles to herself and hums acknowledgement. “And what do you think?”

She can practically hear the confusion on his face and feel the thoughtful stare hitting her back.

“I do not think it is my place to say anything,” Goemon answers carefully. “It is between you, Lupin, and Jigen.”

“You’re part of this gang too, you know.” She turns to glance playfully at him over her shoulder. “You’re allowed to have an opinion on something that I’m sure has been making it hell to be around us.”

He considers this for a moment, then hesitantly gives an answer. “I think… you were right about it taking time, but mostly I feel for Lupin in all this.”

“How so?”

“He is in love, but believes he must hold himself back so that neither of you will feel abandoned. He is smothered by his equal desire for two very different people.”

There’s something so deeply sad in Goemon’s eyes as he speaks, Fujiko is actually taken aback for a second. Strange how you can spend so much time with a person, know so many of their likes and dislikes, only to find you really don’t know them at all. It’s so easy to forget the samurai is the youngest of all of them.

“Are you speaking from experience, Goemon?” she asks softly, finally turning to face him completely.

He goes completely still for a moment. There’s a flicker of something hurt in his gaze, like there’s a part of him that desperately wants someone to confide in, but in an instant it’s gone. 

“...No. Love is not something I can have.”

Before she can even be properly startled by that statement, the samurai gets up, excuses himself, and vaults over the side of the balcony into the darkness--presumably to wander off into the wilderness alone like he tends to do. He had sounded so flat and resigned just then… What happened in his past to make him say those words with such cold control?

* * *

The rest of their stay in the house goes by in relative peace. Lupin briefly panics upon realizing he doesn’t know who to go to bed with, but they’re able to agree that it’s Fujiko’s turn, and the thief only gets in a little trouble for suggesting he could sleep with both of his significant others at once. Lupin  _ does _ manage to get some quality time with each of them on the balcony, though, and as a result he spends the entirety of the next morning grinning like the cat that ate the canary. They can’t really complain; it’s miles better than having him anxious and miserable.

After that, it’s a relatively simple matter of packing up and herding them all onto a plane to the English countryside, to a grassy hill where an ancient church once stood.

It’s such a small ruin with so little to it, it’s hard to believe there could be something hidden here that nobody has taken yet. One and a half walls and a pattern of rocky lumps that were once foundations are all that’s left of the building, and any graves outside have long since been lost to nature and time.

Despite the church’s appearance, Lupin strolls up to it with that excited confidence he always gives off during a job, carrying a shovel over his shoulder. He’s looking around as his mind whirs away with recollections of his research. 

“Now it  _ should _ be somewhere around…” the thief mutters to himself as he bounds over some old foundations and starts to pace the length of the ruins, as though he’s imagining himself walking in the church when it was still standing. 

The others wander over, but keep a bit to the side as they watch and wait for Lupin to do his work. Goemon glances back the way they came for about the dozenth time, but he ignores any questioning looks, keeping his impassive expression firmly in place as he turns back to watching Lupin.

“Okay, I think it’s here...ish!” The thief calls to his companions with a wave, and any tension is broken as they tromp through the grass to join him.

Unsurprisingly, Lupin’s calculations are right on the money, and they only have to dig about a foot through the rain-drenched earth before they hear a metallic thunk as the shovels hit something hard. The excitement drives even Fujiko to forget the mud and help out wholeheartedly; but the mood quickly turns to confusion as they realize they aren’t uncovering what they expected.

It’s not a box... but a trapdoor, made of old, rusted metal and surrounded by a ring of paving stones. It’s heavy--Jigen has to help Lupin haul it open--but luckily hasn’t become totally sealed by dirt and rust. Lucky them, because now they’re staring into a cramped tunnel leading down into the inky blackness of who-knows-where.

“Hm…” Lupin squints into the darkness and absentmindedly runs a hand through his hair. “Well that’s ominous.”


End file.
